MULCHING
Mulch your beds
to save gallons
D
rought or no
drought, time spent
watering a garden
might be therapeutic but
could be spent doing
something more productive
if one could minimise the
water loss from the garden
through evaporation.
And the simplest way to do
that is to put a layer of
organic matter around the
plants on top of the soil. In
other words, mulch.
Smallholders with livestock
will, quite likely, have been
feeding their animals through
From page 14
Listen to hear if the pump
kicks on and off while water
is not being used. If it does,
you have a leak.
Make every effort to prevent
pollution by preventing any
development activities which
may impact on the quality of
groundwater.
This includes the construction
of new buildings, even on
neighbouring smallholdings,
and particularly applies to the
establishment of new sewage
or septic tank systems. It also
refers to storage or disposal of
waste, such as used motor or
cooking oil. Not only should
we protect our own water
supplies, but we must be
aware of the water resources
of all our neighbours.
Easier said than done on
most holdings, but guard
against over-grazing the land
or any other land-use
practices which threaten
groundwater resources.
We need to be sensitive in
our use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides to
ensure that our groundwater
is not contaminated.
After all, we don't own the
water, we only have the right
to use it.
Finally, we must play our part
in ensuring that future
generations have access to
water that is fit for use.
Report water pollution to
your local authority or the
Dept of Water Affairs on the
toll free number 0800 200
200.
Smallholders should be
very conscious of how they
use water in the home for
cleaning and cooking, as well
as outside for gardening,
irrigation of crops and
watering of livestock.
And, smallholders ~ most of
whom use boreholes for at
least part of their water
supply ~ should also think
about groundwater management.
Groundwater is water that is
found beneath the ground
surface in soil pore spaces
and in the fractures of rock
formations. Where this
groundwater occurs in
reasonable quantities, these
water-bearing layers of rock
are called aquifers and have
been compared to saturated
sponges, with networks of
interconnected cracks and
holes extending hundreds of
metres below the ground.
Groundwater differs from
surface water because of the
contrasting physical and
chemical environment in
which it occurs, although the
water itself is essentially part
of the same overall cycle.
As users of groundwater, it is
the smallholders’ responsibility to ensure the sustainability
and quality of the groundwater system on the plot. Those
of us who have boreholes
need to keep our pumps
running as efficiently as
possible. Check your
borehole pump periodically.
Continued on page 16
15
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